style

beauty

This Works: Clinique DramaticallyDifferent Moisturizing Gel

Sometimes, when you have oily skin, the real gauge of a product isn’t what it does but rather what it doesn’t – in that it doesn’t clog your pores, doesn’t break you out, and doesn’t render your face an oil slick two hours after application.

Perhaps this explains Clinique’s Dramatically Different Gel’s unwavering popularity since its launch in the 70s, in spite of the fact that it doesn’t claim to be a wonder product that will give you the brighter, smoother, Beyonce-like skin of your dreams, much like so many other products that have reached similar cult status.

So what’s its biggest selling point? It’s no secret that what oily skin needs most is moisture – give it enough and it won’t feel the need to pump it out by the gallon; and this is a product that does just what it says on the tin. It is a moisturizer that moisturizes, and little else.

It’s the sort of no-frills approach that dermatologists love; on a recent product cleanse which saw me dump the entire contents of my skincare drawer on my derm’s table for his appraisal, this is the only moisturizer that made the cut – everything else was deemed too harsh and too irritating for my naturally oily, sometimes acne-prone skin.

You know how Clinique like to boast that all their products are derm-approved? Sometimes, the marketing hype’s worth believing.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel, Rs. 2,850, available at Clinique stores nationwide, or Rs. 3,000, available at Amazon.com.

Jossbox is dedicated to bringing you insider access to beauty and fashion - without the airbrushing.

From interviews with editors, models, makeup artists and other cool folk to tips from the world's best beauty experts and the latest product reviews, you'll find it all here. We aim to keep it honest and BS-free, always.